Koehler and Mishra (ibid.) recognised that technology has the potential to present challenges to teachers, and that an approach was required to enable the utilisation of such developments effectively. This approach requires the intersection of the following elements; content knowledge (the teacher’s understanding of the subject matter), pedagogical knowledge (the processes and practices used in teaching), and technological knowledge (the understanding of ever-changing available technologies). TPACK requires the teacher not only to understand what technologies are best suited to the content that is being delivered, but also “requires a forward-looking, creative, and open-minded seeking of technology use, not for its own sake but for the sake of advancing student learning and understanding.” (Koehler and Mishra, 2009 p66). Contextual influences including teacher training, experiences, students, resources, objectives and attitude should also be considered around this model (Breen, 2018).
A study focussing on Turkish teachers found that those who used TPACK in lesson planning had thoroughly considered how to improve lesson quality via the effective integration of technology, while bearing in mind its relationship with both content and pedagogy (Kurt et al., 2014). Similarly, Ansyari’s (2015) study into developing a technology integration programme for EFL teachers found that giving teachers an introductory workshop on frameworks such as TPACK served as a foundation on which they could build their knowledge and encouraged constant consideration of how best to integrate any subsequent new found digital practices into their teaching. Both of these studies demonstrate the potential benefits of using a framework such as TPACK in lesson planning.
What are your thoughts on the TPACK framework? Is it something that you would find helpful when considering the use of technology in your teaching? Let me know!
References:
Ansyari, M.F., (2015). Designing and evaluating a professional development programme for basic technology integration in English as a foreign language (EFL) classrooms. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 31(6), pp.699–712.
Breen, P., (2018). Developing Educators for The Digital Age: A Framework for Capturing Knowledge in Action, London: University of Westminster Press.
Koehler, M.J. & Mishra, P., (2009). What is technological pedagogical content knowledge? Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 9(1), pp.60–70.
Kurt, G. et al., (2014). TPACK in practice: A qualitative study on technology integrated lesson planning and implementation of Turkish pre-service teachers of English. ELT Research Journal, 3(3), pp.153–166.